Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

AOS Program, Princeton University

Address: 300 Forrestal Road, Sayre Hall

Phone: (609) 258-1311

Email: sdownes@ NOSPAM princeton.edu

My research focuses on the formation and circulation of Southern Ocean water masses. The simulation of the Southern Ocean overturning circulation among climate models, and compared with observations, significantly varies. I look at the subduction and transformation of water masses, and the associated air-sea and Ekman fluxes, to understand why models differ.

I have spent the past few years diagnosing changes in the Southern Ocean upper limb water masses in some of the IPCC AR4 models. I am currently estimating the transformation of deep waters into mode and intermediate waters in some of the GFDL models. The Southern Ocean plays an important role for the uptake and outgassing of carbon. My research will link the upwelling of carbon and nutrients with the physical processes of Circumpolar Deep Water.

Please feel free to contact me via phone or email if you would like further information on my research.

Vita

Downes, S. M., N. L. Bindoff and S. R. Rintoul (2009). Impacts of climate change on the subduction of mode and intermediate water masses in the Southern Ocean. Journal of Climate, 22 (12), 3289–3302.pdf

Downes, S. M., N. L. Bindoff and S. R. Rintoul (2010). Changes in the subduction of Southern Ocean water masses at the end of the 21^st century in eight IPCC models. J. Climate, 23(24), 6526-6541.

Griffies, S. M., M. Winton, L. J. Donner, L. W. Horowitz, S. M. Downes, R. Farneti, A. Gnanadesikan, W. J. Hurlin, H.-C. Lee, Z. Lang, J. B. Palter, B. L. Samuels, A. T. Wittenberg, B. L. Wyman, J. Yin, and N. Zadeh (2011). GFDLs CM3 coupled climate model: characteristics of the ocean and sea ice simulations. J. Climate, in press, doi: 10.1175/2011JCLI3964.1.

Downes, S. M., A. Gnanadesikan, S. M. Griffies, J. L. Sarmiento (2011). Water mass exchange in the Southern Ocean in coupled climate models. J. Phys. Ocean., accepted (doi: 10.1175/2011JPO4586.1).

Downes, S. M., A. S. Budnick, J. L. Sarmiento and R. Farneti (2011). Impacts of wind stress on ACC fronts and subduction. Geophys. Res. Lett., in press (doi:10.1029/2011GL047668).

Downes, S. M., S. M. Griffies, J. B. Palter and A. Gnanadesikan (2011). Decomposing interior water mass transformation in the Southern Ocean. In prep. for J. Phys. Ocean.

Downes, S. M., D. Menemenlis, H. Zhang and others (2011). Inter-annual variability in water mass ventilation in response to large-scale phenomena. In prep. for J. Climate.

 

Dupre, S. M. (2004) Impacts of latitude shifts in the Southern Ocean Westerly Winds on past and present climates. Honours Thesis, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

Downes, S.M. (2009) An analysis of the impacts of climate change on the Southern Ocean overturning circulation. PhD Thesis, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.

2005 AIP 16th Biennial Congress, ANU, Canberra, Jan 31 - Feb 4, 2005.

ACE CRC 2005 Symposium, Hobart, Tasmania, Aug 30 - 31, 2005.

Greenhouse 2005: Action on Climate Change Conference, Melbourne, Nov 13 - 17.

Tasmanian Polar Network Inc. General Meeting, Hobart, Tasmania, March 3, 2006.

ACE CRC 2006 Symposium, Hobart, Tasmania, Aug 29 - 30, 2006.

14th National AMOS Conference, Adelaide, South Australia, Feb 5 - 8, 2007.

Greenhouse 2007: The Latest Science & Technology Conference, Sydney, Oct 2 - 5.

ACE CRC 2007 Symposium, Hobart, Tasmania, Nov 20 - 21, 2007.

ASLO Ocean Sciences Meeting, Orlando, Florida, Mar 2 - 7, 2008.

Tasmanian Polar Network Inc. General Meeting, Hobart, Tasmania, March 6, 2009.

DOE Climate Change Prediction Program Meeting, Bethesda, MA, April 7 – 9, 2009.

OCB Floats & Gliders Workshop, CA, April 28 – 30, 2009.

OCB Southern Ocean Workshop, NJ, June 9 - 11, 2009.

Climate Process Team 2009 Annual Meeting, Princeton, NJ, Jun 11 – 12, 2009.

Atmosphere-Ocean Energy Transport Meeting, CA, Nov 5 – 7, 2009.

NASA/JPL (invited seminar), CA, Nov 11, 2009.

ASLO/AGU Ocean Sciences Meeting, OR, Feb 22-26, 2010.

DOE Climate Modeling Science Team Meeting, Mar 29 – Apr 2, 2010.

IPY Oslo Science Conference, Oslo, Norway, Jun 8 – 12, 2010.

Climate Process Team 2010 Annual Meeting, Princeton, NJ, July 29 – 30, 2010.